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Spain Sees 26% Rise in Reported Assaults on Health Workers as Police Warn of Vast Underreporting

The National Police presented the annual tally, cautioning that formal complaints capture only a fraction of the violence faced by medical staff.

Overview

  • The force recorded 513 complaints in 2025 for assaults on healthcare personnel, a 26.35% increase from the previous year.
  • Complaints were led by offenses against public officials (179), threats (163) and injuries (110), with intimidation and physical violence the most common forms reported.
  • Officials estimate real incidents approach about 20,000 annually due to widespread underreporting and urged health workers to file complaints.
  • Police conducted more than 11,000 interventions, including roughly 3,500 at health centers and 8,000 during home visits, leading to 138 arrests.
  • Hotspots identified include Madrid, Sevilla, Málaga and Cádiz, with peaks in June, on Mondays and Tuesdays around 11:00–12:00, while Galicia logged 46 complaints and Castile and León 28.